Saturday Swim Session: Build 400’s

Each week I will load three options up for you to do. Option A is for swimmers who are after a workout less than 2,000 metres. Option B is for swimmers who are after a workout between 2,000 and 3,000m and Option C will be greater than 3,000m.

Option A

300m Warm Up;

6x 50m Drill/Swim;

3x 400m Build 1-3, 40sec RI;

200m Cool Down (2,000m)

Option B

600m Warm Up;

12x 50m Drill/Swim;

3x 400m Build 1-3, 40sec RI;

200m Cool Down (2,600m)

Option C

600m Warm Up;

12x 50m Drill/Swim;

6x 400m Build 1-3, 40sec RI;

200m Cool Down (3,800m)

Start the workout with a Warm Up covering 300m (Option A) or 600m (Option B & C). During the warm up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It does not need to be a continuous swim.

Swim 25m doing an appropriate drill prior to continuing on with regular or normal swimming to complete 50m continuously. Pause prior to conducting the next repetition for a total of six reps (Option A) or twelve reps (Option B and C). The pause referred to above is a stop of about 10 seconds. It is a chance to grab a drink, review the programme and think about the next drill you will do. If you need 15-20 second or longer you are welcome to take it because the rest duration is not physiologically critical to the aim of this set. Having a quick break is neurologically critical though, so make sure you do not just roll straight from one rep to the next.

A YouTube video of the drill can be found by clicking on the drill listed below, complete these drills once through for a total of six reps (Options A) or twice through for Option B & C:

Feel free to use some fins for this drill set, but do not forget to take them off at the end of it.

The main set for Option A & B involves three 400m reps with a 40 second Rest Interval (RI) between reps. Swim these by building your pace each three reps. Option C involves six reps, building your pace each block of three reps.

Here is an example of some times swum by a client of mine when doing this session Option A. Note how they get quicker through each block of three reps.

Rep

Time

1

6:05

Build 1-3

Fast

2

5:59

Faster

3

5:58

Fastest

4

6:07

Build 4-6

Fast

5

6:03

Faster

6

6:01

Fastest

Then it is time for a 200m Cool Down (CD). Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the cool down (like the warm up) can be any stroke you wish to swim.You can also stop and rest after any length.I encourage you to stop and stretch during the cool down.

I specialise in assisting first timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729. Make sure you sign up to my informative newsletter.

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If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published 12 months ago.

Ray has competed in triathlons from sprint to ironman distance (both IM Taupo and Challenge Wanaka). Consequently he is aware of the importance of balancing training with lifestyle, thus complimenting other important aspects of an athlete’s life (family, work, study commitments etc…).
• Entering your first triathlon?
• Stepping up to a longer distance?
• Looking to go faster?
• Wanting to turn previous negatives into positives?
Ray has coached athletes to achieve these and more. Training programmes are accessible online, so athletes can be located anywhere and still reap the benefits of Ray’s coaching. Contact him to discuss how he can assist you to achieve your goals.

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1 week agoYesterday our tour group of 15 were dropped at the start of the section of Wall which is part of the course for the half marathon on Saturday. 3.3km later we arrived back at what will be the start & finish line area. Climbing up & down steps is a challenge as I train on the flat! It took me a while to get "warmed up". The smog was quite evident. Not all the wall is steps. Some parts were slippery. It is amazing to think how old the Wall is and how it was built. It took me 2

Training Plan of the Month – May 2019

As you follow the programme you will find yourself swimming your 1,500m faster. Now whether that is a PB or not will depend on how fast you have swum in the past, but it will definitely be faster at the end of the 4 weeks than it is now. With this programme people improve on average nearly 2 minutes, with some people improving by over 10%.

Designed for triathletes who have limited time to train but can squeeze two short 2km sessions in each week. The primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to swim 1,500m faster than you did at the start of the programme.